Thomas Ravenel will not be attending the Southern Charm season 5 reunion, so if you were looking forward to his signature lame, outdated jokes or his cowardly flair for playing his current girlfriend against his ex-girlfriend, well, enjoy it on the show while you can. Bravo confirmed the news yesterday evening, and it was not only the right move, but a sigh of relief as well. While he’s being investigated for sexual assault claims, there is simply no seat on that couch for him. He should handle his business, like the Southern gentleman he claims to be, and let the others have their fun.

Because that’s what the others will do: let Austen ramble about his dating life and Cameran gush about her baby girl and Craig discuss his latest sewing project. Hearing Thomas stammer about (allegedly) forcing himself on women would only prove to the the bummer it really, really is.

Let’s be real about this season of the show: it’s been fascinating television. While much of the fire is due to Thomas’s girlfriend, Ashley, who came in and tipped a full truck of gasoline on the branches the other cast members were perfectly fine rubbing together themselves, we’re all traumatized enough watching her flip her hair and say wildly inappropriate things to the mother of her boyfriend’s children.

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It remains to be seen if Ashley will show up at this point: on one hand, she might sit it out to support her man. On the other, this woman shows up where she’s not wanted all the time, and if she was that distraught over the lack of an invite to Saint’s second birthday party, she surely won’t be happy about an opportunity where cameras can capture even more of her dramatic behavior.

Assuming she stands by the man she says she is fully obsessed with and sits out the reunion, this will give the others, specifically Kathryn, the opportunity to reflect on that moment — and the moments that are still yet to come this season. Without Thomas present, there’s a chance the reunion could even be, wait for it, fun. An update on Austen’s beer! A silly clip of Naomie’s cat Gizmo! Whitney!

Yes, reunions are designed to be dramatic, but not this dramatic. We don’t need Thomas or Ashley present at the taping to relive the moments we’ve witnessed on this season of the show. It will come up in the conversation, it will be reflected on, and it will probably take up a solid chunk of the reunion episode(s) as it is. We’ll cringe at the clips, we’ll let Cameran chime in on what she missed, and we’ll chuckle at Shep’s joke about the whole thing before Andy throws to a commercial break. And that’s the most pleasant way to dissect this situation and put it behind us. It needs to be addressed, yes, but what more can really be said here? It was harsh and wrong the way Ashley acted. Two groups of people yelling at each other across a room won’t change a whole lot about the events, and probably won’t prove to be as fun as that might sound. Thomas has already explained why he let Ashley go on and on with her antagonizing — we know where he (sheepishly) stands and it would be unwise of anyone to hold their breath for an apology or acknowledgment of regret to come from him on that matter.

On top of all that, when it comes to the legal matters of the accusations against Thomas, as we’ve learned from his and Kathryn’s custody dispute, well, there’s very little that can be said when a particular topic is tangled up in the courts. He’s not a man known for showing (any) signs of remorse, really, so why even pretend to present him with an opportunity to do so?

It’s crystal clear that this season Thomas brought his new girlfriend in presuming her presence would shake things up with Kathryn (he knowingly kept them separate from each other for the beginning of the season, likely for this very reason), and Ashley only disrupted and terrorized the other Charmers on what was supposed to be a relaxing (LOL) weekend away. His other contributions this season include: making unfunny jokes that only he follows up with a chuckle, scarily screaming at Chelsea on a ferry, and handing over his credit card for $10k worth of designer dresses for Ashley.

While there’s no official word yet on his future involvement with the show, let’s hope Craig is busy embroidering a big old “Boy, Bye” on something right now.